Countdown to begin the 10,000 Hour Sewing Challenge.. ......

The Challenge begins 01/01/2010 at 12:00am

I'm currently compiling the guidelines for this Challenge as well as the details of my Sewing goals for the upcoming year. I will have it all planned out within the next week or two and will post it. This is what I have so far:

* I'll credit myself 3000 hours although I've sewn for much more.
* My aim is to devote 1000 hours in 2010 to sewing or doing sewing related activities. This amounts to 83 hours a month or ~3 hours a day.
* I have to sew something every week minimum (2 weeks max for more complicated projects)
* I need to sew wardrobe essentials (Basic Black pieces): Slacks, LBD, Tailored Jacket,& Black pencil skirt. (Am I missing anything?)
* I have to keep track of all the time I spend sewing and reading, studying, or watching sewing related material and post it.
* Try draping a simple piece.
* Try drafting a simple piece.
* Sew some jeans-- Jalie 2908
* Start sewing my Spring Wardrobe in March.
* Start sewing my Fall/Winter wardrobe in September (Hey, I live in Savannah, Ga we barely have a Winter :) )

Although I'm still ironing out the details I'm extremely excited about this challenge! It may seem like a lot but believe it or not this helps me become more disciplined which is my biggest goal. I'm Left-Brained so Structure is my friend!!!. Plus these are just that, goals and you have to start from somewhere. As the old saying goes "If you Aim at Nothing you usually Hit it Every Time". I think you get my drift. And of course with you guys joining me,it makes this SO MUCH MORE exciting!!!

What are your thoughts so far? Do you have any ideas of some things I could put on my list to get accomplished? I'd love to hear your suggestions!

Seeing Double (or More) .........

These are two patterns that I fell SO in love with this year that I couldn't help but make duplicate and triplicate copies. Here they are.....

Vogue 1027

Oooooh, how I love these dresses!!! The white and blue dress is my favorite of all time. So light and flowy---and has pockets!!! This is a go-every-where dress and always makes it easy for me to move, bend, squat, etc. as needed without exposing myself. It's a perfect picnic dress.






(Tan/Brown dress pictured without belt)


Simplicity 2925
A very fun and flirty dress that I wore all summer long! It was perfect for my tall, slim frame and accentuated my narrow shoulders!









I've since had to retire these two patterns but who knows they can easily make a comeback. There are no REAL rules when it comes to sewing, right? And only YOU know of my little secret (wink)! We shall see.... Which patterns were your favorite and why?

McCall 5975

Ok, so I've had to put sewing me and my daughter's Christmas dresses on hold due to a change in the Christmas program date. It turn out we're not having or traditionally scheduled program so I'll have to find another occasion to wear our dresses. In the meantime, I thought I'd whip me up a quick dress to wear for church. In the midst of some alteration work I was able to get it done in one day. Here it is.....

View Pattern: http://www.mccallpattern.com/item/M5975.htm?search=5975&page=1



Pattern Description:
Close fitting dress with waistline seam, cowl neckline, three-quarter length sleeve and belt.

Pattern Sizing: 12 for chest and 14 for waist and hips

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes!

Were the instructions easy to follow?Very much so! I got sorta turned around when I had to sew the sleeves in. You have to catch part of the cowl neck into the armhole with the sleeve. I figured it out and after that I had no issues.



What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I liked the design simplicity of the pattern. It's a great option for using a knit with an eye catching print.

Fabric Used:
A bargain knit from my stash. I don't exactly know the blend but I believe it's poly-cotton.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
My fabric had enough stretch so I ommitted the zipper.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I believe I'll sew it again. It's a very form flattering design.

Conclusion:
I really like this dress and I absolutely LOVE sewing with knits!!!! Combined with the right fabric it can look very upscale. Plus it can be made in just a few short hours. It took me a little longer than I expected due to some unplanned interruptions.......

My Little One decided to invade my sewing room and try on my bodice first.



Plus, I accidentally ran over a pin and instead of breaking my needle the pin bent under my throat plate (like a hook) and it took me 30 minutes to get it out. I had to take my throat plate out. Weird huh? There's a first time for everything. Ever had anything crazy like that happen?

Threads DVD-ROM's

So about a month ago I purchased this DVD-ROM.....



I'm a big fan of convenient sewing reference materials and I have to admit this is a great DVD-ROM. Especially since I like to print articles and compile my own reference books. Check it out here for more details. http://store.taunton.com/onlinestore/item/the-best-of-threads-volume-one-031010.html. BTW I got it for $28 (on another website)instead of the $50 it retailed (I refuse to pay full price for anything including sewing supplies). So I contemplated buying the 2nd volume until they came out with the "Offer Above All Offers".




Why do they have a DVD-ROM with all of the Threads volumes from 1985-2009? That's crazy---146 issues!!! I think I only own about 30 or so. Kinda sounds too good to be true. And I guess at $145 that's only a little less than a dollar an issue. But I still don't know what to make of this offer. I wasn't even sewing when this mag came out so I'm not sure if the articles back then were any good. Do you have any idea??? What are your thoughts??? Of course if I get this for a deep discount then I'm definitely getting it. I guess I'll just keep this on the radar for now.

My last LONG post---PROMISE!!!

But for the sake of understanding I wanted to Dissect this whole "Expert" thing….




The Book that sparked this whole idea.....


I know some people may be real skeptical about the whole 10,000 hours notion. Upon discovering this I too wondered what really makes someone an expert at something. Can this be achieved by ordinary folk? I’ve always thought that people who were extremely good at something had a step up over the rest of us common folk. You know they had the “extra” on top of our “ordinary” which of course made them extraordinary. I’m not trying to discount their hard work but that’s the thing, I guess I was so taken by their “Image” that I didn’t give much thought to “the behind the scenes work” that made them so good. Let’s take Michael Jordan for instance. I’m not even into basketball and I know that he’s one of the most prolific players of all time (my brother was obsessed with him). But did you know that in 10th grade he was cut from his basketball team. But what kept him going as he says “was his relentlessness and determination to be the best”. He’s not the only one. Just for fun check out this link of famous people, who like Michael Jordon, have had some setbacks http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6hz_s2XIAU.

You know, come to think of it, I used to be relentless just like that. When I first began sewing I was truly obsessed and probably possessed (LOL)! I was consumed with it. I knew things got pretty bad when I would check out 30 sewing books from the library at one time and had some even sent from other branches. When I went through their resources I began researching and buying my own book, etc. I just craved learning more and trying new things. I amassed a library that I am very well pleased with. I have some of the top rated sewing instructional DVD’s, books, etc on every topic from textiles, to draping, to drafting, to etc.etc.etc. Maybe this isn’t necessary for everyone, but for me it was.

But somewhere along the line I began to lose steam and at some times stall. It didn’t happen suddenly but gradually. As the UFO’s and wadders began to pile up--- so did my feelings of inferiority. It seems I was uncomfortable with my own failures. Thing began to change when I really accepted that learning is a process (we all know this but do we accept it?). The thing that makes someone an expert, as Merriam Webster defines, “is having, involving, or displaying special skill or knowledge derived from training or experience”---is experience. Failures are just as much a part of the whole process of learning. So maybe, just maybe, if I (We) kick in enough hard work and accept the success and failures that will result that I (we) too can become extraordinary—an extraordinary seamstress!!! Now that’s a thought. I’ve since returned to my old “relentless self” determined to see how far I can go with this. Maybe Michael Jordan is right, maybe sometimes you have to ……...”Just Do It. What are your thoughts?

My Christmas Dress

OK, so I finally made up my mind (I think) and this is really a big deal given that I'm an over thinker---which is kinda not my fault--I work in the Research Science field so that's what they pay me to do. LOL! But I've picked my Christmas dress and won't be going with the silver and black metallic fabric. I figured I'll save that for a strapless bubble skirt number that I'd wear to a fancy soiree! So here it is.

Here's the pattern:


I'll probably do the ruffle top in print with short sleeves and the fitted skirt with vent in a solid. Here are the fabric options.


Option #1


Option #2


Out of these two fabric choice and I think I've settled on the blue fabrics--option #2. I worked with this fabric before. Here's the dress and pattern.





It's currently a UFO--boo hiss!!! In short, when I fit did my fitting I did the bodice only and assumed the skirt was a go. The pattern was drafted with uneven skirt fullness distribution. So most of the fullness was on the side of the pattern--it made me look "hippy" and I couldn't easily correct for this in time to wear this dress to a banquet. I was bummed but I plan to revisit it and somehow redo the bottom. May even switch to a different skirt pattern all together. Anywho......

Well I need to hop to it. With both, Reilly's and my dress to get done in the midst of all the craziness the holiday seasons brings I've got to start my fittings this week. Wish me luck!

My Story Part 2

How it all began

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end".
~Seneca, Roman philosopher

I became a seamstress in a unique fashion (pardon the pun). I never intentionally set out to sew. I don’t think I really gave much thought to it. At the age of 8 or so I taught myself to knit and crochet so that was really my craft of choice---and I was really good at it. I crocheted everything from afghans to pillows to Bible covers to stuffed animals—everything! I would go to Joann’s to buy yarn and hooks and nothing else. I always thought those women huddled around the sewing pattern tables at JoAnn‘s were a little on the weird side—seriously flipping through catalogs and aggressively yanking out cabinet drawers—mind you I was 8. I never knew that seventeen years later I would become one of those “weird women”. :) I would say it was through divine intervention that I discovered my passion for sewing. My Husband’s Grandmother, Anne helped me discover sewing. It was in her untimely passing in 2004 that my Mother-In-Law (the BEST IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD) passed Grandma Anne’s 1988 New Home Sewing machine on to me. At first I looked at it and had no idea what I would do with it. I only sewed pillows briefly in 12th grad Home Economics. Secondly it was EXTREMELY HEAVY—all metal and weighed a ton But because of how “Extraordinary of a Woman & Seamstress” Grandma Ann was I figured the least I could do was learn how to sew to commemorate her legacy.


Grandma Anne


Young Grandma Anne--wasn't she beautiful!


Grandma Anne's New Home--My First Sewing Machine

So as soon as we returned from the funeral I headed off to Hancock to take sewing lessons for $5/hr. from a sweet store attendant named Mrs. Helen. I had no idea that this would spark one of the BIGGEST OBSESSIONS in my life. You know what I mean. You have it too. I can see that look in your eyes!!! You know the way your hand twitches and heart palpitates when you find that awesome pattern or that spectacular fabric-----you know EXACTLY what I’m talking about! LOL Let me tell you ALL about it…………………(to be continued).